Looking for advice for a new build please.

Wayne-O23 · 2025-12-03T19:34:11+0000

Purchase Timeframe: Ideally i would like to order before the new year, end of January at the latest.

Budget: £2000-£2500

Usage: Pretty much only gaming

Preferences: Currently strongly leaning towards a 9800x3d with a 9070xt, 32gb ram minimum,

Current Hardware: i7 8700k, 1070ti, 16gb ram ddr4, asus rog strix-z370f

Peripherals: not required

Special Needs/Requirements (inc Wi-Fi): nothing

Any help would be greatly appreciated, i am so out of touch at the moment, its been probably over 8 years since i built this last one. My current build will be my son's first computer, which is more than capable for the games he plays, but also can help him upgrade as time goes on. Thank you all in advance.

Rob_B · 2025-12-03T19:40:14+0000

Currently a 9800X3D is your best bet, with that budget though I'd hold off for the 9850X3D as you're probably 'only' looking at £1,500/£1,600 for your existing requirements. For gaming 32GB is plenty but on OCUK almost everything is out of stock.

There are some good recommendation in this thread (with a few variations on the CPU/GPU) https://forums.overclockers.co.uk/threads/5070ti-build-for-1-5k-inc-monitor.19007616/

GPU options are likely the 9070XT, 5070Ti or 5080, it really depends on how much of that budget you want to blow. Personally I'd not be paying a grand for a 5080 at the moment due to rumours of the supers being released (assuming RAM pricing hasn't killed that idea) A 9070XT/5070Ti if you use RT are good 'cheap' options leaving you with budget left over for a little upgrade down the line.

Tetras · 2025-12-03T19:42:51+0000

For a gaming PC there's not much special about it, just grabbing a few bits that support the 9800X3D/9070XT you wanted.

The problem is RAM, trying to find something in the 32/48/64 variety that doesn't cost more than your CPU/GPU

Peerless assassin is cheapest cooler I'd pick, but case can support a 360mm AIO if preferred.

My basket at OcUK:

1 x AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D Eight Core 5.20GHz (Socket AM5) Processor - Retail (SKU: PRO-AMD-03517) = £399.95
1 x MSI B850 GAMING PLUS WIFI (AMD AM5) B850 ATX Motherboard (SKU: MOT-MSI-03994) = £169.99
1 x Asus Radeon RX 9070 XT Prime OC 16GB GDDR6 PCI-Express Graphics Card (SKU: GRA-ASU-04155) = £589.99
1 x Gigabyte Aorus 7300 2TB SSD M.2 2280 NVME PCI-E Gen4 Solid State Drive (SKU: STO-GIG-05732) = £149.99
1 x Lian Li Lancool 216 Mid-tower PC case - Black (SKU: CA-7BG-LL) = £85.99
1 x Antec HCG 850 Pro Platinum 850W ATX3.1 Full modular Power Supply (SKU: POW-ATC-02745) = £159.95

Total: £1,567.85 (includes delivery: £11.98)

Subliminal Aura · 2025-12-03T19:50:16+0000

Jeezus ....

Corsair Vengeance LPX 64GB (2x32GB) DDR4 PC4-25600C16 3200MHz Dual Channel Kit (Black)

Order Corsair Vengeance LPX 64GB (2x32GB) DDR4 PC4-25600C16 3200MHz Dual Channel Kit (Black) now online and benefit from fast delivery.

www.overclockers.co.uk

At these prices I'd happily rip the RAM out of all my machines.... I think my son has a pair of dimms just sitting on display in his room :face_palm

Gray2233 · 2025-12-03T20:37:02+0000

Not a lot of parts to choose from at the moment unfortunately, you used to be able to get a good Thermalright 360mm AiO for £40 and there's a severe lack of good air cooler availability too.

You should be able to find the Thermalright Royal Pretor for £40 and it competes with some 360mm AiO's, but be sure to measure up your case and make sure it fits.

No guarantee the memory I've listed will work at listed speeds, however you should be able to manually dial in 6000/c30 on it without a problem, funnily enough it's one of the cheaper 32gb sets available on OCUK at the moment.

M-ATX build as that's a preference of mine:

My basket at OcUK:

1 x AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D Eight Core 5.20GHz (Socket AM5) Processor - Retail (SKU: PRO-AMD-03517) = £399.95
1 x PNY XLR8 Gaming EPIC-X 32GB (2x16GB) DDR5 PC5-51200C36 6400MHz Dual Channel Kit (SKU: MEM-PNY-04558) = £329.99
1 x Sapphire Pulse B850M WiFi (Socket AM5) DDR5 Micro-ATX Motherboard (SKU: MOT-SPR-05692) = £129.94
1 x Gigabyte Aorus 7300 2TB SSD M.2 2280 NVME PCI-E Gen4 Solid State Drive (SKU: STO-GIG-05732) = £149.99
1 x PHANTEKS XT M3 Micro-ATX Case, includes 3x 120mm Fans - Black (SKU: CAS-PHK-05735) = £52.90
1 x Thermalright Frozen Notte 360 Black ARGB V2 All In One CPU Cooler (SKU: COO-TLR-03260) = £69.95
1 x Sapphire Pulse Radeon RX 9070 XT Gaming 16GB GDDR6 PCI-Express Graphics Card (SKU: GRA-SPR-03983) = £589.99
1 x Phanteks AMP GH 1000W V2 80PLUS Platinum ATX Power Supply Modular - Black (SKU: POW-PHK-05991) = £129.90

Total: £1,864.60 (includes delivery: £11.98)

Tetras · 2025-12-03T20:55:50+0000

Gray2233 said:
1 x Phanteks AMP GH 1000W V2 80PLUS Platinum ATX Power Supply Modular - Black (SKU: POW-PHK-05991) = £129.90

V2, are these old enough for a V2!

I went digging.

I have asked Phanteks, and here's their reply:

"Although the PSU has mostly stayed the same, there have been these 3 changes:

For the 24-pin and the 12V-2x6 cable, the cable combs will come pre-installed.

The PSU will run in hybrid mode by default, so the button has hence been removed.

The 12V-2x6 connector now has our signature color, so you can easily see if you've plugged it in all the way.

We hope this answers your question."

Based on their response, the underlying PSU platform appears to be largely the same, but it has been updated to a newer, improved revision. Additionally, the connector layout on the PSU has also been revised. Overall, all these changes are for the better.

Reddit - The heart of the internet

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I was wondering the same and couldn't find any reviews. So I got the Phanteks AMP GH V2 1200W and the only drawback I noticed is that the fan is very loud. It doesn't spin during light usage, rendering the PSU very silent in general. But once it starts spinning, it sounds like a jet engine and is very annoying to be honest.

The new revision (V2) doesn't have a hybrid mode switch. It operates in hybrid mode all the time basically.

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Why do manufacturers always have to "improve" popular/competitive products? :confused:

Gray2233 · 2025-12-03T21:05:16+0000

Tetras said:
V2, are these old enough for a V2!

I went digging.

Reddit - The heart of the internet

www.reddit.com

Reddit - The heart of the internet

www.reddit.com

Why do manufacturers always have to "improve" popular/competitive products?

More like "downgrade" while making people think it's an improved product unfortunately.

There's also the FSP Vita line which seems to be decent from what I've read at the current price point, slightly more compact design than most.

FSP VITA GM 1000W ATX v3.1 PSU Review - Page 11 of 11 - Hardware Busters

Hardware Busters - FSP VITA GM 1000W ATX v3.1 PSU Review - PSUs

hwbusters.com

My basket at OcUK:

1 x FSP VITA-1000GM 1000W 80+ Gold ATX 3.1 PCIE 5.1 Modular Power Supply (SKU: POW-FSP-06658) = £119.99

Total: £123.98 (includes delivery: £3.99)

There's sweet FA to really choose from at the moment for almost everything, I don't remember it being this bad since lockdown.

I'd personally be willing to take a punt at the FSP, they seem like a little known company but tbh they're the OEM for a fair chunk of the big names out there.

Tetras · 2025-12-03T21:20:11+0000

Gray2233 said:
There's sweet FA to really choose from at the moment for almost everything, I don't remember it being this bad since lockdown.

I'd personally be willing to take a punt at the FSP, they seem like a little known company but tbh they're the OEM for a fair chunk of the big names out there.

Seasonic's Core GX is an option while it is on offer, though the innards are definitely a stepdown on the Focus, or the Vertex derived HCG Pro. Vita has better caps, not sure about the rest.

Gray2233 · 2025-12-03T21:49:54+0000

Tetras said:
Seasonic's Core GX is an option while it is on offer, though the innards are definitely a stepdown on the Focus, or the Vertex derived HCG Pro. Vita has better caps, not sure about the rest.

I saw one review about the Vita's fan being so-so, not terrible but not great either.

It's all going to be trade offs unless spending silly money for the most part at the moment I suspect, probably wont get much better anytime soon either.

Shame Asrock came into the PSU game with such aggressive pricing or they'd be a solid option, although the Steel Legend offerings aren't too terrible while having a look around at what is actually in stock:

My basket at OcUK:

1 x Asrock Steel Legend SL-1000G 80 Plus Gold 1000W Modular Power Supply - Black (SKU: POW-ASR-04179) = £149.95

Total: £157.94 (includes delivery: £7.99)

Seems like a good option from reviews, I believe HEC is the OEM, 10 year warranty.

This is for the 850w version: https://www.kitguru.net/components/power-supplies/zardon/asrock-steel-legend-sl-850g-psu-review/6/

Seems like the biggest complaint anyone has is that it doesn't magically offer anything new, which makes zero sense to me as it's a bloody power supply.

Craig_d1 · 2025-12-03T22:03:43+0000

hmm, i never close my cart down from a few days ago when someone was looking a 216...it still has bf discounts on it and when i go to purchase doesn't update with new prices..wonder it that would actually go through if i clicked buy :cry:

..oh so tempting

My basket at OcUK:

1 x AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D Eight Core 5.20GHz (Socket AM5) Processor - Retail (SKU: PRO-AMD-03517) = £399.95
1 x Sapphire Nitro + Radeon RX 9070 XT Gaming OC 16GB GDDR6 PCI-Express Graphics Card (SKU: GRA-SPR-03987) = £599.99
1 x CORSAIR RM1000x Gold ATX 3.1 PCIe 5.1 Fully Modular Power Supply (SKU: POW-CRS-02467) = £134.98
1 x LANCOOL 217 Infinity - Black (SKU: CAS-LIA-06168) = £108.95

Total: £1,255.86 (includes delivery: £11.98)

Craig_d1 · 2025-12-03T22:12:39+0000

as a guide, another place still has bf deals
the 1050w montech Centery II fully modular pcie5 80plus gold atx3.1 is £89.99, 1200w version is £109.99
both are A rated
or the 1200 NZXT atx3.0 is £119.99 which is A+ rated..think from look it's 2023 model rather than 2024 model, but still A+ rated...idenetical apart from atx3.0 to atx3.1 which i think is slight difference inb the cable

Tetras · 2025-12-03T23:45:34+0000

Gray2233 said:
My basket at OcUK:

1 x Asrock Steel Legend SL-1000G 80 Plus Gold 1000W Modular Power Supply - Black (SKU: POW-ASR-04179) = £149.95

Total: £157.94 (includes delivery: £7.99)

Seems like a good option from reviews, I believe HEC is the OEM, 10 year warranty.

I'm snobby about HEC, but yeah, it looks like they did a good job!

The Vita you mentioned has a 10 year warranty too, unlike the Core GX (7) or the Amp GH (8).

Gray2233 said:
Seems like the biggest complaint anyone has is that it doesn't magically offer anything new, which makes zero sense to me as it's a bloody power supply.

They used to be the master of making weird boards that nobody else did (like AGP+PCIE, multi-DDR), so maybe that's where the expectation comes from?

Craig_d1 said:
hmm, i never close my cart down from a few days ago when someone was looking a 216...it still has bf discounts on it and when i go to purchase doesn't update with new prices..wonder it that would actually go through if i clicked buy ..oh so tempting

Somebody on here had some RAM that was only £130 and it worked

Those other parts are better buys, but not like RAM where it doubled/tripled.

Gray2233 · 2025-12-04T00:08:26+0000

Tetras said:
The Vita you mentioned has a 10 year warranty too, unlike the Core GX (7) or the Amp GH (8).

Aye, the Vita seems the best option IMO with currently available stock.

10 year warranty, good platform, excellent prices by comparison.

Craig_d1 said:
hmm, i never close my cart down from a few days ago when someone was looking a 216...it still has bf discounts on it and when i go to purchase doesn't update with new prices..wonder it that would actually go through if i clicked buy ..oh so tempting

My basket at OcUK:

1 x AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D Eight Core 5.20GHz (Socket AM5) Processor - Retail (SKU: PRO-AMD-03517) = £399.95

1 x Sapphire Nitro + Radeon RX 9070 XT Gaming OC 16GB GDDR6 PCI-Express Graphics Card (SKU: GRA-SPR-03987) = £599.99

1 x CORSAIR RM1000x Gold ATX 3.1 PCIe 5.1 Fully Modular Power Supply (SKU: POW-CRS-02467) = £134.98

1 x LANCOOL 217 Infinity - Black (SKU: CAS-LIA-06168) = £108.95

Total: £1,255.86 (includes delivery: £11.98)

I love that case, they need to pop out an M-ATX variant.